Heartbroken in Heartland
by CatNinja0122
Summary: Sequel to Shark's Insanity. Shark thought his life couldn't be better, but it could be worse. When Hilda's murdered, Shark, Kite and Yuma are the last people to see her alive. It gets worse when Hilda's father accuses Shark of it. Shark then gets captured by the one truly responsible. Can Shark prove his innocence or will the tides turn and drag him under? WARNING: Character Death.
1. Chapter 1: The Date

Heartbroken in Heartland

Hilda sat on the stool in her bedroom, tying her hair in a braid and draping it over her left shoulder. She had it tied with a small yellow bow that matched her yellow dress. The red-haired looked back over her shoulder and at Shady, who was asleep on her bed. Her sky-blue eyes then set on the clock. 8:10. Twenty minutes until her date with Shark. Where was he?

That's about when Hilda's cell phone rang. Shady jumped up with a startled whimper and stared at her master. The red-haired girl chuckled at her puppy's actions before checking the number on the phone. It was Shark.

"Oh, I gotta take this." Hilda scooted Shady over and sat down, answering in a somewhat too excited tone.

"What's up, Shark?"

_"You sound happy. Still excited to go?"_

"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?"

_"Dunno, just curious."_

"Right. So, what's up?"

_"I can't come pick you up for the date." _Hilda's eyes widened. Her heartbeat quickened a bit as she heard this.

"Why not?"

_"My motorcycle is being repaired for something. I can't take it out of the shop to bring you. Luckily, you're within walking distance of Karaoke Fancy."_

"Oh?"

_"Yeah, it's only two miles away. Can you walk there?"_

"Sure. I'm sure if I explain it to my mom, she'll let me walk."

_"Awesome. See you there, then."_

"Alright, by Shark." Hilda hung up and smiled. She didn't care if Shark couldn't give her a ride. Her mom would allow her to walk two miles. The red-haired girl stood and ran down the stairs, nearly tripping in the heels she'd just put on. Miranda, Hilda's mom, watched as her daughter smiled greatly at her.

"Be careful, Hilda. Wouldn't wanna get hurt right before this date, would you?" Miranda asked. Hilda shook her head.

"No mom. Oh, uh... can I walk to Karaoke Fancy?" Hilda's eyes were filled with hope when she asked. Miranda looked shocked.

"Uh, I thought Shark was picking you up?"

"His motorcycle is stuck being repaired."

"Oh... Well, why don't I just drive you?"

"Doesn't your car have an oil problem?" Hilda crossed her arms and stared at her mom for an answer. Miranda nodded and sighed.

"Yes, it does. I suppose you don't really have a choice, do you?" Miranda asked. Hilda shook her head.

"Then I guess you can walk. How many miles is it?"

"Two."

"Well, you better leave now then!" Miranda pointed at the clock. Hilda gasped. Fifteen minutes would be enough to get there with ten minutes to spare. She was a really fast walker. "You're right, I should go if I want to have time to spare. By mom! Love you!" Hilda ran as quickly as she could out the door while grabbing her phone. She turned and waved, then shut the door behind her. Miranda smiled. Hilda was finally happy after the move.

Somewhere in Heartland...

Hilda was only one mile away from the restaurant. She stared at the pink and orange sky, the setting sun behind her. The red-haired girl looked at her phone for the time. 8:12. She was making fantastic time.

"I wonder if I'm going to beat Shark there?" Hilda whispered to herself. She locked her phone and continued to walk. A shadow passed over her. The red-haired looked up. A familiar figure was circling like a buzzard above her. She stopped and stared. The figure landed behind her. Hilda turned all the way around and stared into another pair of sky blue eyes.

Kite.

"What's up, Kite?" Hilda asked, walking a little closer to the blond and teal haired teen. Kite smiled. That red-haired girl had done so much for him in such a short period of time. He couldn't help but not act like the Number Hunter he usually did.

"Nothing much, just Number Hunting." Kite crossed his arms. It was strange for Hilda see him with his wrists bandaged. She shook it off and smiled back. "I thought you gave that up?"

"Eh, sometimes I can't resist. So, where are you going? You're really dressed to be just strolling around." Kite looked Hilda up and down. The yellow dress matched the bow in her hair, and the hot pink lace on her dress matched the bow around her waist and her high heels. Hilda giggled, not just because of Kite's question, but at how funny Orbital 7 was being around her. He was hiding behind Kite.

"I'm going on a date with Shark at Karaoke Fancy." Hilda explained. Kite nodded.

"I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm going to go." Kite took off into the sky with Orbital. Hilda waved and continued walking. She was so excited. It didn't take long for Yuma to show up, nearly running right over Hilda. She didn't bother to try and chat and just continued walking. She looked at her phone for the time again. 8:15. A little less time she had hoped for, but she could still make it.

_Okay, so... after this turn, make a left._ Hilda read the directions from her phone. She made a left and continued walking straight. Karaoke Fancy was right in front of her. The red-haired girl beamed and walked in, sat on a bench, and just simply waited for Shark.

_It shouldn't be long now._ She kept telling herself. Hilda stared at her phone. She was going to call Shark, but just as she reached for the buttons, Shark sat down beside her with a grin.

"Oh, sweet! You are here! C'mon, let's go!" And with that, Hilda dragged Shark to the table.

Too bad for her she hadn't noticed the other figure watching her from the shadows...

Ready to pounce on her way home...


	2. Chapter 2: Best Night, Worst Night

Heartbroken in Heartland

I realized I forgot to put a disclaimer on this... Well, anyway, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal or the song in this chapter, but I do own Hilda, Miranda, Shady and Frank. PS, during the parts with the song, the simple italics are where only Hilda is singing, but bold italics are where Hilda and Shark are both singing.

Hilda stared at the menu of food. She hadn't eaten anything all day and felt as though she was starving. Shark was watching her intently.

"What are you gonna have, Reginald?" Hilda glanced up. Shark wasn't paying attention to his menu, he was paying attention to the red-haired girl in front of him, who was to only one (Besides Rio.) that was allowed to call him by his real name. Hilda smiled and chuckled. Sometimes Shark was half-witted.

"Reginald? You in there?" She asked. Shark sat up a bit and shook his head wildly to wake himself up, making direct eye contact with the girl.

"What?"

"Is something wrong? You haven't spoken until now."

"Nothing's wrong... I just got a little nervous, that's all..." Shark was blushing madly. Hilda giggled. She loved seeing the side of Shark no one else got to see.

"It's fine. So, what are you gonna eat?"

"Dunno. It's a good question, Hilda." Shark began to stare at his menu as well, just now realizing he was hungry.

"We'll just have to see, then." Hilda's sky-blue eyes looked over every piece of food. They finally came to rest and stare at a chicken strip basket that both of them could share. Shark's ocean eyes came to see the exact same thing. He grinned.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Shark asked.

"Chicken strip basket?" Hilda replied with a giggle.

"Yup." So that's what Shark ordered for them. The couple already had their soda, Hilda with a Pepsi and Shark with a Cherry Coke. All they had to do was wait for forty-five minutes before it came, which kinda ticked Shark off even though he didn't show it. Hilda wasn't too happy either, but she was a little more understanding.

"It's not that bad, Reginald. They have to clean the fryers sometimes. Do you want the chicken to be dirty?" Hilda teased. Shark rolled his eyes.

"That'd be kinda nasty." The purplette sighed and looked around for something they could do. Hilda gasped and smiled with an open mouth when the thought hit here, gaining Shark's attention.

"What?"

"You and I should go sing something!"

"..."

"C'mon, it'll be fun! You can pick the song if you want!"

"I'm not the best singer..."

"That's a lie, I've heard you sing before."

"I guess I'm just not in the mood..." Hilda frowned and sighed. Shark noticed and groaned a bit before saying, "Okay, fine. I hate to see you sad. So, what do you wanna sing?"

"You know the song 'Downtown'? By Lady Antebellum?"

"Yeah, my sister loves that song. Sometimes it's the only thing I hear."

"Can we sing it?"

Shark looked stunned. He didn't think she'd ask him to sing _with_ her, even though she kinda already had.

"You wanna come or what?" Hilda asked. Shark smiled and stood with her. Hand-in-hand, the duo walked to the stage and began skimming through the song sheet. Hilda may have already known what she wanted to sing with her date, but she needed to know the number to start it on the stereo... and that was when Shark turned her around and shook his head "no".

"Is something wrong?"

"You don't need to skim through that. I can play guitar, and we can sing."

"But you don't have your guitar with you!"

"I don't need _my_ guitar to play the one over there. They're free to borrow." Hilda glanced in the direction Shark was pointing. A shiny green bass guitar stood in the corner there. Her sky-blue eyes widened as Shark went to get it.

"Reginald, are you sure?" Hilda was protesting slightly. Shark laughed and held out his hand in a gesture. "I'm sure. I do this all the time. Same guitar and everything. Trust me, it'll be fine." Hilda hesitated at first, but soon smiled and took Shark's hand. As he was leading her on stage, her sky blue eyes went skimming through the crowd of people at tables. She instantly saw a whole group of familiar faces and beamed. Sitting at a single table were Cathy, Bronk, Caswell, Yuma and Flip. They waved at her and gave her a thumbs-up. Hilda smiled and nodded, glad that her friends were there to support her. She found it odd Tori wasn't with them, but shook it off thinking she must just be sick or something. Tori had been absent from school for a while, after all.

Shark slid the guitar strap over himself and stared at Hilda, who had grabbed a microphone from one of the stands and joined him shortly. She smiled as her boyfriend began to play. The table of her school friends cheered and clapped as Hilda began to sing.

_ "Well, all the parties on the streets are talking, store front mannequins sleeping in lights.  
We used to smoke while we were jaywalking like it was your birthday every other Saturday night." _Hilda's voice was smooth and even, perfectly alined with the song. The crowd was going wild. They went even crazier when Shark joined along for some of the lines. His voice was like the male version of Hilda's.

"_**Knew The bands so we never payed our cover.**_**  
**_**Wrote our names on the bathroom tiles.  
We never dressed to impress all the others,  
They would let us in on a laid back kind of style.  
But Boy you know it's been a while."**__  
_  
_**"I don't know why you don't take me down town, like you got anywhere better to be.  
Talk it up and give me the go round round like a good time tease.  
I'm only counting on your cancellation,  
When I should be countin on you at my door.  
Did you forget about how we went around,  
I don't know why you don't take me downtown anymore.  
Ohhhhhhhh anymore."**_

_"I got some platforms sitting in the corner.  
They wanna stroll on a city sidewalk.  
I got a dress that'll show a little uhhh uh but you ain't getting uhh uh if you don't come pick me up __**(damn)**__, Show me off __**(wow)**__, you might be tired, but I'm not!"_

_**"And I don't know why you don't take me down town, like you got anywhere better to be.  
Talk it up and give me the go round round like a good time tease.  
I'm only counting on your cancellation,  
When I should be countin on you at my door.  
Did you forget about how we went around,  
I don't know why you don't take me downtown anymore."**_

_"I don't know why you don't take me down town like you got anywhere better to be.  
Talk it up and give me the go round round like a good time tease."_

_**"I'm only counting on your cancellation, when I should be countin on you at my door.  
Did you forget about how we went around,  
I don't know why you don't take me downtown anymore.  
Ohhh anymore. Yeaaaaah don't know why you don't take me downtown,  
I don't know why you don't take me downtown anymore."  
**__"I just don't get it" _

The crowd went absolutely insane. Hilda smiled and looked everyone over, then kept her final gaze on her table of classmates. They were all standing and cheering for the duo, especially Cat and Yuma. Those two were jumping and screaming to be heard above the rest of the crowd, chanting Shark and Hilda's names. The whole table soon joined in on it, and eventually the whole restaurant was chanting. Hilda felt herself blush slightly. Shark smiled when he saw. It was pretty obvious to him this was Hilda's first time singing in front of a crowd. They climbed off the stage and cut through the large crowd, then ran right over to their classmates. Cathy screamed and pulled Hilda into a hug. "You two were awesome! Just awesome!" she wailed, her hug getting tighter. Hilda hugged her back. "Thank you, Cat. I was pretty nervous..."

That was when Cathy pulled away. She cocked her head to the side and said, "Nervous? You didn't look it."

"I know, but I was. Really." Cathy gave her friend one last look before shrugging it off and smiling. "Whatever you say. Well, we gotta go. By Hilda! By Shark!" Cathy rushed off with the other people of the group. Hilda smiled._ Now there's a group of general friends._ She thought. Shark took her hand and smiled.

"So, how'd it feel for your first time singing in front of a crowd?" Shark asked.

"It was amazing! This is the best time I've ever had!" Hilda nearly squealed it. She smiled and kissed Shark right on the lips, causing the purplette to blush cherry red. When she pulled away, Shark smiled right down at her. Hilda smiled back and glanced at their table. The chicken strip basket was waiting for their eager mouths.

Later that same night...

Hilda hummed happily to herself. That chicken was the best she'd ever had, and it went right along with the best time she ever had. Shark had walked home, as did Hilda. The red-haired girl looked at her phone for the time. 9:30. She hadn't been gone for as long as she thought.

The sky was fading from dark purple to a deep black. Stars poked out here and there, and the moon had barely begun to rise. She could barely see her own shadow, let alone the one that flew over her. Hilda already knew by the shape that Kite was following her again.

_Well, this is becoming a routine thing. Better stop and say hi before he leaves._ Hilda thought to herself. That's exactly what she did, to. The red-head spun around and grinned as Kite landed behind her. He had Orbital with him, no doubt.

"Hey, Kite! What're you doing out?" Hilda walked up to Kite. He smiled down at her in a similar way Shark had. Orbital hid behind the teen. It was as if he didn't remember Hilda.

"Nothing much. I was Number Hunting, but then I decided I'd had enough and just flew around for a bit. When I saw you again, I thought I'd drop by to say hi." Kite looked around, a confused expression on his face. "Where's Shark?"

"He and I are walking home."

"Ah." Hilda chuckled and glanced at Orbital. She knelt to the robot's height and smiled. Orbital slowly and cautiously rolled towards the red-haired girl.

"I know you remember me, Orbital." Hilda coaxed. Orbital cocked his head to the side and squeaked in realization.

_** "**_Y-You're right! I do remember you, H-Hilda!" Orbital would've been smiling if it were possible. Hilda smiled again and stood, staring Kite in the eye.

"I gotta get home." As Hilda was about to walk off, Kite grabbed her gently by the wrist and stopped her. She whirled around, confused.

"What?"

"I can give you a ride home if you need it."

"It's fine, Kite. I'll walk."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it's fine. Really." Hilda gave a reassuring smile. Kite hesitated at first, then smirked and let go. "Alright. But if you ever need anything, you know to call Orbital's number."

"Of course."

"See you later then." And with that the blond had soared away again. Hilda waved and continued on her way. It seemed like seconds later, she ran into Yuma.

"Hey Hilda!"

"Oh, hi Yuma. What's up?"

"I thought you were a really good singer tonight, you and Shark both."

"Aw, thanks. It's my first time doing anything in front of a crowd."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I was nervous... but I didn't give up." Hilda grinned and watched Yuma run off. Geez, even in a tuxedo that kid could run a marathon. The red-head continued walking. A few alleys were near her, but she passed them all without harm... all except for one.

A female figure with cat-like moves jumped in front of Hilda, who let out a startled shriek. As she was going to walk around her, the female got back in front. It was only then Hilda noticed she had a knife. Without a word the red-haired girl began running as fast as she could in the heels, trying to catch up to Yuma at least. As she was running, she looked to the skies for Kite. He wasn't there.

_Aw, crap._ Hilda thought. Without thinking, she bounded into an alley. A dead end. She was about to turn around, but the female swooped in and revealed the knife. Hilda was trembing.

"What do you want?" Hilda didn't stutter. She was too scared to, and had barely chocked out those words. Under her mask the female smirked. She lunged at Hilda with the knife and began attacking her with it. Hilda screamed in pain.

Yuma heard the scream. He began running to where he heard it, and since more were coming he knew where to go. When the female attacker heard the footsteps, she took off and vanished into the shadows. "My work is done." she whispered.

When Yuma ran around the corner, he nearly fainted seeing Hilda there. She had been stabbed in the chest and was barely breathing. When the red-head saw Yuma, she had tears welling in her eyes. The black and pink-haired boy ran to her and knelt to her side.

"H-Hilda..." was all Yuma could choke out. Hilda weakly put her hand to Yuma's face and opened her mouth to speak.

"Y-Yuma... could you d-do me a f-f-favor?" Hilda stuttered slowly.

"I'll do anything." Yuma replied.

"P-Please, tell Reginald I l-love him..." Yuma nodded. The red-haired girl smiled. "Thank you, Yuma... y-you truly a-are a good f-friend..." Hilda exhaled and closed her eyes slowly. Yuma's eyes widened. He shook her a few times to see if maybe she'd just zonked out by some sort of luck. It was no use. He felt tears welling in his eyes as the horrible truth crossed his mind.

Hilda Goldenreiner was dead.

I wonder how many people are on the edge of their seats right now. Who done it? You'll see when I update. Anyway, please don't forget to review and await chapter 3, I'll get it up ASAP.


	3. Chapter 3: A Ghost Girlfriend?

Heartbroken in Heartland

Yuma still couldn't believe it. Hilda was dead.

_Dead._

The word still played around in his mind, along with other thoughts. _What's Shark gonna say? More importantly, how am I gonna tell him? This is more confusing then that corn maze..._ Yuma had been holding Hilda's hand, as if doing so would wake her up. He knew it wouldn't.

"How is Shark gonna react to all this?" Yuma thought out loud now. It wasn't like anyone was out to hear him. That's when the idea struck him. Yuma knew he couldn't tell Shark personally, but maybe he could show him. He pulled out his phone and called him up.

_"What is it, Yuma? You know I'm already late getting home."_

"Actually no, I didn't."

_"Whatever, what do you want."_

"This is important, Shark. You can't say no."

_"I can say no if I want."_

"Not if it involves Hilda!"

There was dead silence on the other end. Yuma couldn't even hear Shark breathing. Finally, Shark spoke in a demanding tone.

_"What happened to her?"_

"I'd tell you, but...

_"What the hell happened to Hilda, Yuma?!"_

Yuma hesitated before saying, "She was killed..."

Shark actually wasn't that far from the restaurant. He had been picking up the motorcycle. Now, his mouth hung open, his eyes were wide, and his phone was on the ground in pieces as a result of him dropping it. The purplette wasted no time in hopping on and speeding off towards Yuma's direction. He knew exactly where the little nub was.

Yuma whirled around when he heard Shark. He had tears in the corners of his eyes as he stared at Hilda's bleeding and lifeless body. The purple-haired boy dropped to his knees next to Yuma and began chocking on his sobs. Yuma couldn't move. Finally, Shark stopped making any movement at all. Tears fell from his eyes and onto Hilda as he moaned out his question.

"Who... did... this?" Yuma wasn't sure how to respond. Shark's eyes were blazing with fury. Any answer would send him over the edge.

"I don't know... I'm so sorry Shark..." Yuma was shocked when Shark didn't lash out on him. Instead, he took Hilda's hand lightly and held it, just as Yuma had. The purple-haired boy knelt closer to Hilda and gently kissed her forehead. He sighed. Shark knew he'd never see her again.

At least, that's what he thought. Shark's necklace began glowing. Yuma stared. It was glowing the same way his had when he first met Astral. Shark stared intently without a word as it got brighter. Soon, it died down. Shark raised an eyebrow.

"That was weird." Shark muttered. He glanced up for some reason, then gasped when he saw what was standing (Or floating, rather.) in front of him.

Hilda was there, glowing just as Astral used to. Shark stared intently. He knew Yuma couldn't see her, but he also knew he wouldn't call him crazy. After all, Yuma had been able to see Astral for so long before Shark could. It only made sense.

"There is no way this is you..." Shark put out a hand in curiosity. Yuma watched. He knew something similar to what happened with Astral was going on right now. He didn't disturb the moment for that reason.

"It is, Reginald." Hilda touched her fingertips to Shark's and smiled. Shark smiled back hesitantly. He was really happy and sad at the exact same time. Happy because he still had a girlfriend, sad because she was now a ghost. Yuma smiled at the scene even though he couldn't see most of it. Hilda helped Shark stand and gazed into his ocean-blue eyes. Shark did the same with her sky-blue ones. It amazed him she was only faded a bit in color. Otherwise, she was just the same as a ghost.

"Who did this to you?" Shark asked. Hilda shrugged her shoulders and blinked.

"I don't know. Some masked girl with cat-like movements." Hilda responded, brushing a small bit of hair out of her face. Shark scowled and looked down. Yuma was curious to know what was wrong.

"Shark?" Yuma questioned.

"Hilda said some female with cat-like movements." Shark growled.

"I only know one person who has moves like a cat."

"Me too. Cathy Katherine."

Okay, I got a few things to say. First off, theabridgedkuriboh gave me the idea for this chapter. I give her half the credit, and second, sorry it's so short. I think I'm suffering from writer's block. As soon as I get back on track, I'll get better and try to make all my chapters this long. And now only one question remains: Was it Cathy who did it? Until I get my next chapter up we'll never know. Please review and await chapter 4!


	4. Chapter 4: Being Accused of it All

Heartbroken in Heartland

Sorry I didn't update soon. I just got over my writer's block and began typing what flew into my mind. Wow, it seems to be going around. Anyway, enjoy and review!

Miranda sat on the couch, frantically glancing back and forth at the clock to see the time. It was 10:09 at night, and Hilda still wasn't back yet. The older red-head stared and grimaced upon seeing the time again. She trembled and stared at the door now.

Said door flew open, startling Miranda. A man wearing hiking boots, a leather jacket and blue jeans walked in. He took his shades off, revealing golden eyes that scanned every inch of the house. Miranda breathed a sigh of relief.

"Miranda, where is Hilda?" the man asked, scratching his orange hair. Miranda shrugged.

"I don't know, Frank. She went for a date with her new boyfriend and never came back!" Frank's eyes narrowed. As soon as her heard the word "boyfriend" he was furious.

"Boyfriend, huh? And why wasn't I told about this, boyfriend of hers?"

"Hilda would've told you if you hadn't been out of state on important business."

"You could've called me. I think I have the right to know when my own daughter is dating someone!" Frank stomped his foot on the ground at the last word, angrily staring at the clock, which now read 10:18. Miranda watched her husband walk to the other room and pull out his pistol. He also stared at his badge. As a policeman, it was normal he'd be stern about who Hilda were to date. This was different, though. Hilda had never come back, and judging by the look on his face, Miranda guessed he was beyond pissed off. Frank turned back to her and asked, "What's this boyfriend's name?"

"His real name is Reginald, but everyone calls him Shark." Miranda watched Frank growl and walk back to the living room and sit on the couch. The red-haired woman sat by him and gave a reassuring smile when he looked at her.

"Frank, I wouldn't worry too much. Hilda's responsible. Besides, it started raining not too long ago. She probably just went with Shark to his place to get out of the rain for the night. She has done that before, and you know it."

"That was back when we lived in Domino, Miranda. Besides, we knew her friends there. Here, we don't know any of them! Besides, if that were the case, she would've called to tell us!"

"She told me her phone was low on battery. It probably died out. Besides, she didn't bring the charger."

"Whatever you say, Miranda, but I am going to get to the bottom of this." Frank almost jumped off the couch and out the door, Miranda watching his every move. He took off in his police car, siren blaring and lights flashing.

Miranda sighed. She knew he would be gone a real long time.

At Cathy's house...

Cathy sat on her bed, stroking one of her cat's shiny blue fur. The gray-haired girl had changed into a pair of black long-sleeved PJ's with cats in different colors on them. She hummed the song Hilda and Shark had been singing to herself and stared out the window. The moon and stars were covered by the clouds, and rain droplets were hitting the window all around it. Her parents were out, so she'd been left alone.

The blue cat suddenly jolted up and ran down the stairs with a meow. Cathy followed with a questioning look and stared at where her cats had stopped. They were all sitting at the front door.

"Huh?" Cathy stepped cautiously around the cats and opened the mail slot to see who or what was out there. Yuma and Shark stood outside, and the cats were going crazy with meows. Cathy turned and shushed them, then had them scamper off while she opened the door. The boys were wet, but she allowed them to come in anyway.

"Hi guys. What're you doing here? It's 10:45 at night." Cathy asked, staring at her pair of wet friends. Yuma was motionless, while Shark scowled. Hilda tried to stop him, but he ignored her and marched up to Cathy, who had backed up until she hit the wall behind her. Her blue-green eyes shook wildly as Shark pinned her to the wall and glared.

"Why did you do it?" Shark demanded. Cathy was puzzled. "Do what?" She asked.

"You know what!"

"No, Shark, I don't! I don't know what you're getting at!" Just as Shark was going to attack, Hilda jumped in front of him, her pink aura glowing slightly brighter than usual. "Reginald, don't do it. Somehow I don't think Cathy could've done this."

Shark widened his eyes. "Why not?"

"Because she's a cat freak. Most likely, her attire would've had cat ears and a cat tail, just like everything else she owns that isn't for school. Don't you agree? Even her Duel Deck is made up of Cat-Type Monsters."

"There wasn't anything cat-based about your attacker?"

"Nope. Not unless you count the way she moved." Hilda twirled her braided hair in between her fingers and floated to Yuma's side. Since he couldn't see her, he didn't notice.

"Hmm, I guess you're right." Shark backed up and let go of Cathy, who meowed and rubbed her wrists.

"What was that all about?!" Cathy demanded. She scowled and sat down, crossing her arms and growling. Yuma sighed. "I suppose it's time we tell you the story if you don't already know."

One explanation later...

"She's _dead_?! How?! What?! Where?! When?! WHY?!" Cathy screamed her questions quickly, and they echoed off the walls of her mansion. Shark and Yuma had to cover their ears, even Hilda had to. They stared at Cathy with shocked looks. No one had ever heard that nervous cat lover get so loud.

"Was it necessary to get _so_ loud?" Yuma questioned.

"I suppose not, but I gotta have answers to these questions! Why did this happen? And when?" Cathy had moved to the couch to hear the story. Now, she was laying on it, innocently staring up at Yuma and Shark for answers.

"We don't know why this happened." Shark said.

"I'm not exactly sure, but I think it happened a few minutes after she left Karaoke Fancy." Yuma chimed in. Shark had also filled them in on the details of being able to see Hilda, just as Yuma used to be able to see Astral. The purplette glanced at the floating red-haired girl next to him. "It did happen at that time, right?" he asked. Hilda nodded. Shark did the same to tell everyone else. Cathy put a hand to her lips and gasped. Yuma stared at the floor with wide eyes.

"Well, we have to call the police!" Cathy said, tears forming in her eyes.

"I already did. No doubt Hilda's dad will be part of this case." Shark stood and went to the door of Cathy's mansion, ready to go. Hilda followed quickly.

"Wait, what makes you think her dad will be involved?" Yuma asked.

"Her dad is a cop. Of course he'll be involved."

"How did you know he's a cop?"

"Duh. Hilda told me." And with that, Shark was gone.

Somewhere else in Heartland City...

"Reginald, what do you think my parents are going to think?" Hilda asked, floating right behind Shark. He shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno, Hilda. I hate that I'm the one who has to tell them."

"Why are you the one who does? My dad can just tell my mom."

"Just do." Shark shoved his hands in his tuxedo pockets and continued walking. Hilda had not been told where they were going, and she was extremely curious.

"Well, then where are we going?"

"Does my place sound okay? As long as my dad isn't there, we can hang in my room. It's blissful in there." The purple-haired boy stopped and turned to face Hilda. His eyes were filled with sorrow, that of which the spirit couldn't tell if it was from her being dead or his dad being there. As he turned to keep going, Hilda saw tears forming in the corners of Shark's eyes. Some of them fell down his face. Hilda gasped and floated right in front of him, stopping the purplette in his tracks.

"What?" Shark asked.

"There's something troubling you, I can tell. What is it?" Hilda inched closer to him and put her hands on his face, forcing him to meet her gaze. His ocean-blue eyes were shimmering with tears, but they were wide and trusting towards the red-haired spirit.

"..."

"C'mon, Reginald. Cough it up."

"I-I can't..."

"Yes you can. It's just the two of us. No one else will here what you are going to tell me. What is troubling you?" Shark hesitated for a moment and stared at the cement. His tears hit it, leaving splash marks on it. Hilda waited and listened closely as her still living boyfriend began to speak.

"My dad... he's a drug addict. When he's drunk, he takes his anger out on me and Rio, my sister. Since she's in the hospital, she doesn't have to worry about that anymore, but he still beats me and scolds me."

"Is that why you were always so stiff before?"

"Yes, it is. When I met you, I had a place to go where I felt welcome again. Now, it's just the way things used to be...scars and bruises..."

"But I'm still here! Spirit or not, I can still physically touch you. Nothing's really changed between us."

"It's not quite the same..." Shark sighed and let the tears continue to fall. Hilda dropped in front of him, not floating all together, and pulled him into a hug. Shark didn't hug back. The red-haired spirit pulled away and pecked him lightly on the cheek before floating back up into the air. The purplette stared in disbelief, like he couldn't believe they could still do that.

"C'mon, let's go. And, where are these scars?" Hilda asked.

"They're on my arms. The rest are bruises that are on my wrists and legs." Shark continued walking, feeling some relief because he'd gotten that off his chest. Hilda followed, staring idly at the sky. She could've sworn she saw a figure in it for the third time of the day.

She'd been right. A figure swooped over the moon, which had been peeking from behind the clouds. Hilda recognized it as Kite and wondered what the heck he was still doing out. It was now 11:00 at night. Shark had stopped and done the same, even _wondered _the same thing as Hilda.

_Kite? What is he doing here?_ "Yo, Kite!" Shark called. Kite glanced down and dropped in front of his purple-haired friend. Hart was with him. Kite's sky-blue eyes pierced into the ocean-blue ones lower than his.

"What? Shark? What are you doing out at 11 at night?" Kite asked. Orbital and Hart had their gaze on where Hilda floated. No doubt Kite would soon figure a way to do the same. Hilda sighed and floated next to the robot to see if he could truly see her. Her theory was correct. Orbital 7 had the technology to see spirits like Hilda, and Hart just had an ability to do so. She smiled, glad that Shark was no longer the only one who could see her.

"I'm walking home from somewhere." Shark replied flatly.

"You're always on your motorbike, though." Then the thought hit Shark. He forgot his motorbike in the alley!

"I knew I was forgetting something! I left it in the alley!"

"You wouldn't happen to be talking about the same alley Hilda's body was found in, would you?" Hart chimed in. Shark widened his eyes. How had these two known about Hilda's death?

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"The police were told Kite was one of the last 3 people to see her alive. They're currently looking for you and Yuma to question." Hart's amber eyes stayed glued to Hilda after that.

"That's why we're here." Kite said. "We wanted to tell you the police are looking for you. Come with us." Shark never got the choice as the teal and blond-haired male grabbed him and dragged him away. Hilda followed right behind. They made it to the police station, and there, at the front, stood a tall man in a leather jacket, jeans and hiking boots. Hilda gasped. She knew this man.

"Who are you?" Shark asked. The man, who had also been wearing shades, (Even though it was dark.) took them off and smirked.

"Me?" he counter-questioned. Shark nodded, as did Kite. "I'm Hilda's father, Shark. And I'm going to arrest you for the murder of my daughter."


	5. Chapter 5: Unexpeced Offer of Help

Heartbroken in Heartland

"W-What?!" Shark blurted it, staring directly into Hilda's father's golden eyes. He smirked and nodded. Kite and Hart couldn't believe it. He was accusing Shark of the murder? Not right at all.

"We found your fingerprints all over the crime scene. They were everywhere on that motorbike and on the knife in my daughter's chest! Not to mention they were all over her hand! It's all over Shark." The purplette growled and bounded down the stairs yelling, "You wanna put me in jail for no reason, then you gotta catch me first!"

"Shark!" Hart yelled and bounded after him with Hilda, Kite and Orbital following right behind with Hilda's dad. Shark allowed Hart to catch up, but knocked over a trash can to keep that cop away. Kite leapt over it and watched Hilda's dad trip over it from the skies.

_That outta keep that dumb cop busy for a while._ Shark thought. He ran to the side of a building, climbed up the ladder and onto the roof, then jumped off that one and onto another roof opposite him. Hart stayed behind and stared as his purple-haired friend jumped from roof to roof with Hilda hot on his tail.

"Reginald, I don't think running will get you very far." Hilda said, giving Shark an extremely terrified expression. "My father, Frank, never misses catching a runner. He's never had one get away from him!" Her sky-blue eyes widened as Shark smirked.

"Then I guess I'll be the first to escape." Shark slid down the ladder of one of the buildings, then jumped over another trash can. The lid fell off, alerting Frank of where his "prey" was.

"There you are." Frank rushed around and cornered Shark against one of the walls. Kite swooped down with Hart and Orbital and watched closely. The purplette backed up until he hit the wall. Frank revealed the taser in his hand as he stepped closer, until he got to the point he was too close for Shark's liking. In a matter of seconds, the purple-haired boy lay on the ground, unconscious. Hart and Hilda gasped, and Kite simply stared. Orbital nearly blew a fuze.

"I guess we're done here." Frank slapped the cuffs around Shark's wrists and lifted him. Everyone followed as he put his captive in the car. Hilda managed to jump in before the door shut. He slid in to the driver's seat and turned to the Tenjo brothers. "And I suggest you leave before something like this happens to you." Kite took the warning with a scowl. He grabbed Hart and took off with him and Orbital. Hilda watched from the window of the car as it began speeding out of the area, lights flashing and sirens blaring.

Somewhere in Yuma's room...

Yuma often wondered what had happened to Astral when he went in the key that night. He never once came back out, and it concerned the pink and black-haired boy. He held the key up as he lay in his hammock, allowing it to sway back and forth gently. Light glimmered off it and bounced into Yuma's crimson eyes. He smiled gently, as if that would coax Astral out of hiding or reveal an answer of some sort.

"Astral...what are you doing in there?" Yuma asked out loud. He kept staring at the key for a while, then turned over and stared at the framed picture of his parents. Yuma smiled and returned his attention to the key before staring idly at the ceiling.

Suddenly, there was knocking at Yuma's front door. He jolted up, and did so in such a quick manor he banged his head on the ceiling. The pink and black-haired boy cursed lightly under his breath and made his way down the stairs. He looked at the clock while going towards the door. 11:29 at night. _Who_ would be there at this hour?

"Who's out there?" Yuma called weakly.

"Yuma, it's Hart. Would you open the door?" Hart stared at the wooden door in front of him while it opened. Yuma smiled when he saw the blue-haired boy and his older brother standing there. As confused as he was, he allowed them to come in. Orbital followed. Yuma shut the door lightly and led them all upstairs, then jumped into his hammock, staring at them with a tired expression.

"What are you two doing here at 11:30? It's late!" Yuma rubbed his eyes and yawned. Hart couldn't take it anymore. He burst into tears. Kite held him in a hug and stared directly at Yuma.

"We wanted to inform you of something that happened tonight." Kite made direct eye contact with Yuma, who was staring with curiosity now.

"Huh? What happened?" Yuma asked. Hart chocked out his answer.

"S-Shark was arrested-d-d."

Yuma never thought his eyes could go so wide.

Meanwhile...

Shark struggled against the cuffs on his hands. He had long since woken up, bis body still felt a little limp from the taser. Frank had no right to do this to him!

'This is ridiculous!' Shark thought. 'Id never kill Hilda! And so what if I held her hand for one last time before her body decayed? Anyone with a heart would do that!' He shifted again as the car traveled faster. Hilda floated beside him, tears staining her face.

"I'm so sorry, Reginald. If my father could see me, I would've convinced him not to do this!" Hilda fell onto the seat beneath her and sobbed. Shark looked at her and frowned. He mouthed out his answer, thankful Hilda could read lips.

"It's okay. This isn't your fault." Hilda read it. She nodded and continued to cry our of spite. She was so angry with her dad.

The tears fell onto the carpet of the car, leaving real marks as the car sped away into the night. Shark simply watched the trees fly by as they drove. He was furious. There were people everywhere that could verify his innocence. Yuma, Kite, Hart, and the rest of his classmates that were at Karaoke Fancy were the ones currently on his mind. He was sure there were more, but he couldn't think of them at the moment. His mind was clouded with other thoughts. Shark growled and shifted around until he snapped his cuffs off. Hilda couldn't believe it.

"How'd you do that?" Hilda asked.

"Old trick. Everyone in my family can do it." Shark mouthed it and unlocked the car door. As soon as this thing came to a stop he was gonna make a run for it.

Frank slowly pulled the car to a stop. Shark waited for him to turn off the siren and lights before jumping out his now open door, making his way swiftly into the shadows and hiding as Frank ran by. He yelled, "You little bastard! When I find you again, I'm gonna make you into lunch meat!" as he raced past the purple-haired boy's hiding place. Shark emerged from the shadowy area and stared intently. Frank was gone.

"Phew. That was close." Shark began walking out and around, Hilda following.

"What are we going to do now, Reginald?" Hilda asked, a hint of fear in her eyes. Shark looked up at her.

"We're going to hide at Yuma's. You have to help me prove my innocence! We know I didn't do this!" Shark was scowling now. He stared up at Hilda, who sighed and nodded.

"Alright. I suppose." The red-haired spirit flew after Shark when he began walking. He turned when Hilda stopped following him.

"What's gotten into you?"

"I heard something." Hilda looked back into an alley. This time, Shark did the same. He heard it as well. What had it been? He took a few steps into the alley before seeing the outline of a figure in front of him. Shark turned back to Hilda. If she could loose color, she would be pure white. The purplette mouthed out his question, "What is that?"

"It's my attacker!" Hilda gulped. Shark's ocean-blue eyes widened. His girlfriend's killer was standing right in front of him. He glared and snarled in a threatening tone.

"So, you killed Hilda?" Shark met with a pair of orange eyes. The figure nodded. She smirked under her mask.

"Why?" He never got the answer to his question. She simply jumped away and into the night, two sets of eyes watching her intently. Shark clenched his hands into fists and growled.

"Do you have any idea who that could've been?" Shark asked. Hilda shook her head.

"I'm sorry, no. The eyes looked familiar, but without a voice or even a look at her hair, I can't tell who it is exactly."

"That's alright. We can figure it out. For now, let's focus on getting to Yuma's." Shark proceeded down the road. Hilda stayed put. The purple-haired boy turned and chuckled.

"What now?"

"Yuma's house is too obvious. I suggest you don't go to a friend or relative's house."

"Then where am I supposed to go?"

"I bet I have that answer." Shark jumped in surprise and turned all the way around, facing the direction of the familiar voice.

"Who's there?"

"Don't you know?" Another figure stepped out of the shadows, arms down and smirk on face. Shark scowled.

Quattro Arclight was the last person he wanted to see right now.

"Oh yeah? And what could you possibly want right now?"

"Me? Oh, I _want_ nothing. I'm simply offering to help you 'prove your innocence' on Hilda's murder." Quattro smirked again and stared directly at Shark for an answer. The purplette did nothing in response.

Finally, he spoke. Hilda was shocked when she heard what Shark had said.

"I'll take your offer."


	6. Chapter 6: She Strikes Again

Heartbroken in Heartland

Quattro smirked again. Shark glared at his violet-eyed rival as he crossed his arms.

"Okay, then. First things first, you need a place to hide from the cops." Quattro began looking around, eyes judging each building cruelly before shutting. The maroon and blond-haired teen shook his head in disapproval. "But none of these places will ever do. Follow me." He stepped back a bit and opened a portal with his Crest, then motioned with his hand and stepped through. Shark and Hilda followed hesitantly.

_I wonder where he's taking us._ Hilda thought. The red-haired spirit stared around as they exited the portal. The room the trio ended up in was spotless, dust-free and huge.

"You may stay here. We have plenty of room, and no one in my family will leak this information out to the authorities. I'll make sure of it." Quattro left the room promptly. For him, it felt weird to be helping Reginald Kastle, his all-time Dueling rival. He wasn't even sure _why_ he was doing it. Quattro shook it off and proceeded down the hall to meet up with and inform the rest of the Arclights about the current situation.

In Yuma's room...

"He was what...?" Yuma asked, eyes still wide with confusion. Hart mouthed out the word again. The pink and black-haired Duelist gasped and nearly dropped his key. Kite shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't hardly believe it either.

"We brought him to Frank, who chased him into an alley and tazed him, then arrested him. We saw it with our own eyes." Kite glanced down at Hart, who was messing around with Kite's bandaged wrists. The older Tenjo smiled slightly at his little brother's actions.

"When did all this happen?" Yuma, who was now out of his hammock, asked in a more calm tone.

"About 20 minutes ago, now." Hart whispered, still fiddling with the bandages on Kite's wrists. The blue-haired boy seemed very interested in them. Kite rolled his eyes and ignored it.

"So, why are you telling me?"

"We thought you'd like to know, that's all."

"Fair enough... So, what are we going to do about this?"

"Dunno." was all Kite said as a reply. He and Yuma watched as Hart played with the bandages for another moment before letting go. He turned and stared at Yuma's key. "Did Astral ever come out of that?" he asked. Yuma shook his head. Hart frowned and shrugged it off. He then turned his attention to the window. Yuma and Kite raised an eyebrow when Hart didn't look back.

"Hart? What's wrong with you?" Kite asked, giving his brother a curious look. Hart gulped and stared again.

"I don't know what that was, but I think something's outside the window." Hart whispered it, pointing to the window at the same time. Yuma and Kite looked up and froze. A figure was there, staring intently at them. A _female_ figure. Like the one that had killed Hilda.

_Crap._ Thought Kite. The last thing he wanted was him and his little brother stuck inside Yuma's house as their only shelter. He didn't even look at Yuma as he asked his question.

"Yuma, do you have _any _place to hide in this house?"

"I have one, but we can't get there with her staring at us."

"Well, where is it?"

"My attic. We can hide inside that old chest up there."

"Any places in this room?"

"Sorry, no." Kite growled and forced his eyes to look around for another place to hide. He couldn't find one. Then the thought hit him.

"Is your sister or grandmother here?" Kite asked.

"They went on a vacation and aren't supposed to return for another week." Yuma informed. Kite growled again. He glanced around some more, then spotted an open window. He smiled.

"I have an idea. I'll lead her away. While I do, you and Hart take Orbital and find a place to hide." Kite was about to move, but Hart grabbed him by the cape and held him back.

"No, Kite. We have to hide together." Hart protested, gripping the cape on his brother's coat even tighter. Kite shoved him aside gently.

"Trust me, Hart." The blond and teal-haired teen jumped out the window of Yuma's room, the figure following right behind Hart and Yuma ran down the stairs and out the front door. Kite and the female were wrestling around and fighting pretty hard. It looked as though Kite was going to win until the attacker pulled out a grenade. She smirked under her mask as she threw it towards a frightened Hart, who had taken a few steps closer to the action.

Yuma, who had seen the grenade, wasn't going to be quick enough to shove Hart out of the way. He was still on the doorstep, and Hart was about 15 feet away. Too far for Yuma to make it successfully. Kite on the other hand...

The blond and teal-haired teen jumped from under the female's grip. Her orange eyes widened as Kite lunged himself at Hart, just barely shoving his little brother out of the way. Hart stumbled into Yuma's arms and both toppled to the ground as the explosion took place in the Tsukumo's back yard. The female jumped away. She'd hit one of them successfully, at least.

Smoke arose from the ground slowly. Hart and Yuma coughed and watched it disappear all together, then gasped when they saw what happened. Kite lay there, hardly breathing and barely conscious. Most of his clothes were shredded, revealing the bandages covering the wounds he received from when Shark Drake attacked him. Yuma and Hart nearly shrieked and ran to Kite's side. Hart fell to his knees and sobbed a bit.

"Kite...no..." Hart whimpered it. He shakily grabbed Kite's hand and squeezed it, tears staining his cheeks. Yuma went on his knees and stared intently at the Tenjo brothers. Nothing happened for a few minutes, but Hart signified something had when he uttered a sudden gasp. Yuma stared. Kite was squeezing Hart's hand back!

"Hart...Yuma...I don't t-think I'm going to m-make it..." Kite spoke in a hushed whisper. Hart shook his head quickly.

"No, brother! You're going to be okay! You're going to be okay!" Hart placed both of his hands around Kite's now, gripping it a little tighter than Kite preferred. The blond and teal-haired teen smiled lightly at Hart. The truth couldn't be avoided, and the three of them knew it for a fact.

"Yuma..." The older Tenjo turned to Yuma, who was staring wide-eyed.

"Yeah?"

"C-Can you... can you promise me s-s-something?"

"Anything, Kite."

"Promise me you'll take... take g-good care of Hart for me?"

"I promise." Yuma felt tears welling in his eyes as he spoke the last word. Kite smiled up at him, then turned back to Hart and did the same. He eventually just looked in the sky, at the clouds that were covering the moon slightly. Kite grinned one last time, gripping Hart's hand back the same way he had earlier. Hart had tears streaming down his face now. He could feel his heart shatter when Kite stopped reacting at all. He didn't squeeze Hart's hand. He didn't smile up at them. Kite didn't even _breathe._

_No. It can't be true. Kite isn't dead. He's just asleep._ Hart thought. He wished greatly he was right. Bit both him and Yuma knew the truth was undeniable.

The attacker had struck again, and she'd successfully killed two people now.


	7. Chapter 7: A Ninja and a Caged Shark

Heartbroken in Heartland

"You're _what_?" Quinton had his eyes wide, as did Trey and Vetrix, upon hearing what Quattro had just told them.

"I'm hiding Shark here until we prove he's innocent to Hilda's murder. None of you are to tell the police of this, understood?" Quattro was eying them all, but had a particularly close one on Trey. The pinkette shifted and shook his head lightly. "You are insane." he said softly.

"I may be insane, but I'm also helpful."

"And just _why_ are you helping him?" Vetrix raised an eyebrow. Quattro glanced down and shrugged.

"Dunno. I don't like him at all, but I guess I just feel like helping."

"That doesn't make much sense, but whatever." Vetrix hopped down from the couch and walked off towards his bedroom, glancing back over his shoulder one last time before closing the door. He didn't bother to put his mask back on as he sat on his bed, trying to comprehend what his son had just said.

"I'm never going to understand you, Quattro." Trey sighed and flicked on the TV. Quinton scooted over so Quattro could join them on the couch, but he instead proceeded to the kitchen. The other Arclights turned around and watched him intently.

"What? I have to make Shark something to eat. He's gonna be staying here for god knows how long. Might as well make him comfortable." Quattro got to work instantly. Trey was going to get up and help, but Quinton grabbed his wrist to stop him. The pink-haired teen turned to his silver-haired brother and stared into his blue eyes.

"Don't bother, Trey. Let him do his thing." Trey hesitated, but then sat back down and stared at the TV with Quinton instead.

Meanwhile, back in the spare bedroom sat Shark, who was looking around curiously. He'd never seen such a large and clean bedroom. Hilda was doing the same, looking over the photos on the shelves. It was obvious to her the Arclights held many memories in this room. The red-haired spirit smiled as she saw a picture of the four of them together, all smiling and happy when Trey, Quattro and Quinton were all younger. When Vetrix Arclight was Byron Arclight.

"So, how do you know Quattro, Reginald?" Hilda asked, not taking her eyes off the pictures in front of her.

"He and I were opponents in a Duel Championship. I don't really wanna talk about it." Shark stared at the floor. Hilda glanced back and shrugged.

"Okay, whatever. You don't have to talk if you don't want to."

The door opened, and Quattro stepped in with a tray of food. He sat down by Shark and smiled, and in a sort of way the purplette had never seen before. It wasn't a smirk or a smile of insanity, but it was a _friendly_ smile. Shark was so confused.

"Uh... thanks, Quattro." Shark said, taking the tray. Quattro nodded and stared at the floor. Hilda and Shark watched intently. The maroon and blond-haired teen looked tired as he stared at nothing in particular. The purplette couldn't believe he was saying what he did.

"Quattro, what's wrong with you?" Quattro looked up with curiosity.

"Nothing. Why?"

"...It's not like you to help me. You and I don't get along well. We're _rivals_."

"So? You and Yuma are rivals, but you're friends. What's the difference?"

"I dunno... It just feels weird." Shark watched as Quattro returned his attention to the floor. The purple-haired boy held one of the sandwiches up and put it near his rival, who looked back at it curiously.

"Huh?" Quattro stared intently at the sandwich.

"Take it. You look stressed." Shark smiled a bit. Quattro smiled back and took the sandwich. Neither could understand why they were being so nice to one another, but they didn't really care. Hilda smiled. Seeing the two of them get along gave her hope this would all work out.

The two teens sat in silence while eating. Quattro stared out the window of the room. Shark stared at Quattro. He knew they didn't get along, and even though this felt weirder than Hell, he couldn't help but feel a bit happy too. The purplette smiled as he finished his sandwich and lay down. Quattro, who felt movement on the bed, turned to see what his riv~friend, was doing. When he saw Shark sprawled out on the bed, he laughed.

"What _are_ you doing, Shark?" Quattro asked, smile playing on his face.

"Dunno. Being stupid?" The two laughed together. That was about the time Trey walked in.

"Oh. I thought you two would be fighting." Trey smiled upon seeing his brother get along with Shark. It made him happy. The pinkette walked out and returned to his seat on the couch.

Silence.

Finally, Shark spoke.

"Why're you being so nice to me?" Quattro was drawn aback by the question. He wasn't sure ho to answer.

"I...I guess I just feel like helping you. Think of it as a way to say Im sorry about what I did to your sister. You and I can get along. It's obvious. Why don't we stop this crazy rival thing and just be friends?" Shark thought for a moment before responding.

"Okay, fine."

"Nice. I suppose the real reason I wanna help is because I have information on who may have killed Hilda."

"Really? Who do you think did?"

"I don't know. I have a slight description though. Female, green hair, orange eyes. That's all I know."

That was all Shark needed to know before jumping up with a gasp. Quattro stared with semi-wide eyes as his purple-haired friend ran towards the door.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

Shark stopped momentarily, Hilda right behind him. He ran out the door yelling, "I'm gonna go find Tori Meadows!"

Somewhere in Heartland...

Shark ran quicker, right in the direction of Tori's house. Hilda was in the sky, gazing around to make sure no one was there. They were lucky. Not even Frank was around. Although, knowing her father, he would be.

"Okay, her house should be right here..." Shark walked now, going down the street. He finally found Tori's house... but he didn't get close to it. Frank had been hiding in the shadows and finally caught up to him. The orange-haired cop jumped Shark. Hilda screamed out of shock when they got into a fight.

"Get off me!" Shark wailed, struggling to get up. Frank got up and tossed the purplette to the other side. He landed on the ground, unconscious. Frank smirked.

"Finally. I give you credit, Shark. You have to be the most challenging person to catch. But I always win." Frank lifted his captive and walked all the way downtown. Hilda followed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Frank suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. Hilda gasped.

Her attacker stood there, knife in hand, eyes set right on Frank.


	8. Chapter 8: Captured, Part 1

Heartbroken in Heartland

This and the next 2 chapters are a chapter series. This is Part 1 of 3.

The female and Frank stood opposite of each other. Frank slowly put Shark down and reached for his pistol. His opponent held up her knife, orange eyes staring into golden ones. Hilda watched intently.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Frank drew his pistol and held it in front of himself. The female never spoke a word. Rather, she leapt into the shadows, leaving Frank baffled. He couldn't see where she went, therefor certainly had no clue she was right behind him. Hilda, who was as clueless as her dad at the moment, started looking around like crazy. When she spotted her attacker above her on a building roof, she shrieked and flew next to Frank. He didn't hear or see his opponent as she made her way to him.

_You are going down._ She thought. The attacker jumped and slid the knife delicately and forcefully down Frank's left arm, causing him to yell and drop the pistol. Blood emitted from the slash as Hilda shrieked again.

"Dad!" Hilda's aura was glowing like crazy. She didn't realize by doing so, her dad could hear her. Frank shot up and stared. He didn't say anything or do anything. He just stared at where Hilda had been floating. The red-haired spirit cupped her mouth with one hand as she floated behind her dad and grabbed the pistol off the ground. Frank went wide-eyed when he saw his gun floating in mid-air.

"How is that even _possible_?!" Frank asked, staring. Even his attacker was staring in disbelief. Hilda fired towards the female ninja, who bounded out of the way. Hilda shot out two more bullets, one missing and one hitting the target in the arm. She flinched but disappeared into the shadows anyway. Frank gasped when the gun clattered to the ground.

_Weird. First, I hear Hilda's voice, then I see my gun defy gravity and shoot itself. I would guess it had been my imagination from lack of sleep and stress... if it hadn't actually _hit_ that ninja. That can't be avoided from the truth. _Frank walked over and slowly picked up his pistol, then set it back on his belt. Hilda floated over to where Shark had been, but couldn't find him. She nearly shrieked again when she saw where he was.

The female ninja had him tied with a rope, and was gone before anyone could get to her.

In the Arclight's house...

Quattro was becoming worried. Shark had been gone for three hours now. He'd gone with Trey to look around town for him, but they had come up empty-handed. Now, the middle Arclight brother sat on the bed and stared at the floor. He wasn't sure where Shark was or what was keeping him, all he knew was it concerned him.

"Dang it, Shark. Where are you?" Quattro asked it out loud and looked out the window. He sighed and stood, proceeding out the door and to the living room. The maroon and blond-haired teen smiled upon seeing his brothers and father on the couch. Vetrix was laying on Quinton and Trey's laps, fast asleep. Trey was rubbing the blond's shoulder, and Quinton was flicking through the TV channels. He glanced up at his brother and smiled.

"What's up, Quattro?" Trey whispered. Quattro smiled.

"Just looking for Shark. Did he come back?" Quattro whispered back. Quinton shook his head lightly.

"No, he didn't." Quattro frowned and sat on another chair. Something was wrong. He knew Shark well enough to know he wouldn't be gone this long unless something bad happened to him. The middle brother suddenly jolted up and ran towards the door, whispering "I know where he is!" As he ran out the door.

Somewhere in Heartland...

Shark moaned and opened his ocean-blue eyes slowly, looking around. The purplette didn't remember a thing that had happened to him after Frank got him, so naturally he wasn't sure where he was. He tried to move, but couldn't. Shark had been tied to a pole and locked in a cage. He growled and tried to force himself free, only to nearly break his wrists.

Suddenly, a shadow passed above him, and the lights flickered on. Shark gasped when he saw Tori there. The green-haired girl didn't look the slightest bit concerned as she approached his cage. Rather, she smiled upon seeing him there.

"Tori, thank goodness you're here. Can you get me out?" Shark asked, smiling. Tori smiled back, but she instead shook her head. Shark's eyes widened.

"Sorry Shark, no. I can't let you leave. I got Hilda out of the way. Kite was a set-back, and I nearly got Frank. But now that I you're alone, you and I can be together!" Tori smiled. Shark couldn't believe it.

Tori had done all this.

DUN DUN DUN, the murderer revealed! Review and stay tuned, 'cause craziness starts next chapter!


	9. Chapter 9: Captured, Part 2

Heartbroken in Heartland

This is Part 2 of 3. Enjoy, hopefully I made it longer.

Shark struggled against the rope again and stared into Tori's orange eyes. They were filled with hope and insanity, which the purplette couldn't understand. He didn't get why Tori was doing this.

"Tori! Let me go!" Shark tried to push himself forward, but had no luck whatsoever. Tori giggled and put her hands on the cage bars.

"Ah, no. Sorry Shark, but if I let you go, I can't have you to myself!" The green-haired girl giggled in her innocent little tone. Shark was so confused. This wasn't like Tori at all. She was a sweet girl that was willing to help anybody whenever she could however she could, not a monster who murdered anyone that got in the way of her crush! That's when Shark realized it. Tori liked, no, _loved _him. She got jealous of Hilda. She'd killed Hilda and Kite for different reasons and attempted to do the same to Frank. _She'd _killed them.

"Tori!"

"No way." The green-haired girl smiled sweetly and winked. "See you in the morning, Sharky." Tori turned and shut the light off, then shut and locked the door from the outside, just to make sure that even if Shark were to somehow break free of the rope _and _cage, he couldn't get out. She'd even bolted the windows in the room down so he couldn't get out those.

Shark moaned and stared into the darkness of the room. His wrists hurt and he was confused. The purplette hung his head in defeat. He didn't have Hilda here with him now. The horrible truth came crashing down on him.

He truly was captured.

The next morning...

Tori's eyes fluttered open quickly. She jolted up and squealed happily. The fact her mom was away for something involving a possible promotion at her job and Tori being alone made it absolutely wonderful for the green-haired girl. She jumped up and slid on a dress, then bounded down the hallway, unlocked the door to Shark's room, and peeked inside. The purplette was fast asleep, and judging by the looks of his wrists, he'd been up most of the night trying to free himself. Most likely, Shark hadn't been asleep very long. Tori decided not to bother him right now and left, locking the door again and heading downstairs. She turned on the TV and began watching intently.

"Ah, this is perfect. I'm absolutely loving this whole taking Sharky captive thing. I feel bad I can't release him... bah, I'll do that when he realizes he loves me." Tori shook it off and continued to watch what was flashing on the TV. An NCIS episode she'd seen 1,000 times.

There was sudden knocking at the door. Tori opened it slightly, then fell when Quattro opened it all the way. He walked up to Tori with a glare.

"Shark. Where is he?" Quattro demanded. Tori, being a great actress, put her back-up plan into motion."What are you talking about?" she asked innocently.

"Don't play dumb, Tori! We know you have him!" Yuma, who was behind Quattro, crossed his arms and growled. Hart was right behind him with a glare. Tori gasped and smiled slightly.

"I really don't know what you're talking about. Did something happen?"

"You know what happened." It was Hart that piped up. He too had his arms crossed. Tori shook her head.

"What are you guys getting at?"

"You murdered my big brother and Hilda!"

"Murdered? Kite and Hilda were murdered? Wow... gosh, I never knew I could miss all of this from not attending school for a few days.

The charade continued for about 20 more minutes. Meanwhile, Shark had woken up. He groaned and pulled on one of his wrists. Tears streamed down his face as he heard a _crack_ and felt immense pain in it. Shark had just broken his right wrist, but it was all worth it to untie himself. Once Shark got the rope off his other wrist, he stood and began messing around with the lock to the cage. It could easily be picked open with a pin or knife. Unfortunately, Shark wasn't in possession of either or.

_Damn. How am I gonna unlock this cage now?_ Shark began looking around. He gasped when he saw a crayon close to the cage. _It may not be perfect, but I can work with it. _The purple-haired boy bent and grabbed it, then shoved it into the lock. Shark shook it around until it popped off, then slid the cage door open.

_Now all I have to do is unlock that door._ The crayon would not work for this. Shark began looking around again. It didn't take him long to find the scissors. The purplette smirked and grabbed them, then jammed them into the lock and twisted. It unlocked with ease. Shark ran out and down the stairs, startling not only Tori, but himself. He wasn't expecting to find Yuma, Hart, and especially not Quattro there, arguing with Tori.

"Yeah well I think..." Yuma stopped in mid-sentence and gasped upon seeing Shark. The pink and black-haired boy smiled and jumped on Shark in a hug. The purplette let out a yelp of pain, causing Yuma to jump off.

"Shark... are you okay?" Yuma asked. He cocked his head to the side and stared.

"My wrist isn't. I had to break it in order to break out." Shark flinched when Yuma grabbed it gently, holding it. He relaxed knowing Yuma wouldn't hurt him and ran a hand through his pink and black hair.

"Tori... why?" Yuma turned and stared at where Tori once stood. She was no longer there. Instead, Quattro lay there in an unconscious state, blood slowly pouring from his head. Shark gasped and ran over, lifting the maroon and blond-haired Arclight to study his injury. Yuma and Hart looked around. A vase lay there, shattered. It was obviously the weapon of choice. The only thing in question was how Tori had managed to knock Quattro out without a sound.

"Dude, we gotta get Quattro to a hospital." Yuma stared at the teen. Hart did the same. Shark shook his head.

"Trey and Quinton can take care of him. We don't need to go all hospital. C'mon, let's get moving." Shark lifted Quattro and, despite the pain in his wrist, carried him out the door and after Yuma, who was leading them on a shortcut way to the Arclight's house.

_Hang in there, Quattro. You'll be better soon_.

In the Arclight's house...

Trey dabbed his brother's head one last time before setting it back on the pillow. The pinkette pulled the blankets up to Quattro's chest and left quietly with Quinton. They closed the door and met with Yuma, Shark, Hart and Vetrix in the living room with smiles on their faces. Hilda had since joined them, and was floating right beside Shark.

"Quattro will be fine. He's just unconscious. The worst that will happen is he'll be really dizzy when he wakes up." Quinton informed. The rest of the group smiled.

"That's good." Shark looked down at his wrist. Trey noticed and frowned.

"Shark, is something wrong?" Trey asked, eyes right on Shark's wrist. The purplette sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, uh... I broke my wrist when I freed myself." Trey shook his head and motioned with his hand. Shark got up and followed. They entered the bathroom and Trey opened one of the cabinets, taking down some roll-on bandage from it. "Hold out your wrist." he instructed. Shark sighed but did as he was told. Trey began gently wrapping the bandage on it, not too tight, not too loose. He tore off the last piece to stick it all down and put it away, then turned and smiled at his work.

"There. All done. It should hold over well enough for it to make a full recovery." Trey and Shark left to re-join the others. Shark couldn't believe it when he saw who else was with them.

Frank had the worst glare the purple-haired boy had ever seen on his face. He marched up to Shark and grabbed him by his bad wrist, flipping him. Shark let out a yelp of pain as he looked up.

"W-What was that for?!" Shark yelled.

"That was for the pathetic attempt of trying to take my life." Frank spat.

"I didn't do it! That was Hilda's murderer! You gotta believe me!"

"No I don't. Your fingerprints were all over the scene."

"I _own _that motorbike. I tried to get the knife out of her chest. I held her hand for a while. Why can't you understand that I didn't do this, and that the real killer is out there somewhere else! She killed another last night!"

"You are a really bad actor."

"He's not acting." All eyes fell onto Hart. "Shark didn't do this. The one you want is Tori Meadows." Frank's eyes widened.

"I know a Tori Meadows. Green hair, orange eyes, really polite. You think that angel did this?" Frank asked, concern in his voice. Shark scowled.

"She's not an angel. I'll have you know she tied me up, locked me in a cage and kept me hostage overnight! Not to mention she knocked out one of the Arclights with a vase." Shark rolled his eyes and sighed.

"It's true." Now all eyes were on Quattro. Frank couldn't believe it. "She knocked me out with a vase, then ran off. But don't worry, I think I know where she went."

Frank jolted up at this information. "Really? And where do you think she is?"

Quattro smirked. "I _know _where she is. She's hiding at Yuma's house. You know how I know? It's 'cause she made the mistake of telling me before going."

I'm nearly finished! In a few more chapters, it'll be all done! Review and stay tuned!


	10. Chapter 10: Captured, Part 3

Heartbroken in Heartland

Final Part, Part 3. Hope you enjoy.

Hart tilted his head to the right and narrowed his eyes. He was obviously confused by what Quattro had said. It just didn't seem right to the blue-haired boy, and when everyone else began running out the door, he stayed behind. Yuma turned and stared.

"Hart? What are you waiting for, Christmas? C'mon, let's go already!" Yuma jumped up and down, waving his arms. Hart shook his head. "No." was the only thing he said.

"No? Whadya mean no? C'mon Hart!"

"No. I'm not coming until you guys hear what I have to say." Hart crossed his arms and frowned. Yuma moaned but dragged everyone back in, then proceeded to sit down on the couch.

"Good. Now, everyone listen." Hart waited for them all to be staring before he continued. "I don't think Tori is at Yuma's house. Don't you think it's a little weird she told us where she's going?"

"Nope." Shark shook his head. "Far as I'm concerned, it makes it easier."

"No, stupid. She's trying to trick us. Tori is hiding anywhere _but_ Yuma's. Don't you get it?" Shark rolled his eyes and shook his head. Hart sighed in frustration. _Sometimes I wonder how I'm the smart one._ he thought. It took a while, but Trey soon shot up. "Oh, I get it! She told us she was going to hide somewhere, but she's really hiding in a different place...fantastic." The pinkette looked around, emerald eyes wide with fear. "She could even be hiding in here."

That set everyone off. The whole room went buzzing with conversation. Hart rolled his eyes and walked towards the door. He knocked on it to get everyone's attention. "Guys, seriously? If she were hiding here, she would most likely have killed us all to shut us up. No, she isn't here. She's somewhere else. We gotta go look for her." Hart motioned with his hand and continued walking. Trey raced after him, the rest of the group not far from the pinkette. They stopped not too far from the Arclight's house.

"We need teams. Shark, you and Yuma. Trey, you go with Quattro. Quinton, go with Frank. Vetrix, you're with me. We'll split into four different directions when we get downtown. Call someone if you find or see Tori. Understood?" Hart instructed. The teams nodded and followed Hart downtown.

Somewhere in downtown Heartland...

Tori was pressed against a shadowy wall in her ninja suit. Even in the light of day, all she had to do was stay in the shadows and no one could find her. It was too easy.

_Those boneheads will never find me. They're so stupid that they'll think I'm actually hiding at Yuma's. Heh. Too easy. _Tori walked silently behind a few trash cans. She was happy she'd taken those kung-fu and judo classes. It certainly payed off for stealthiness.

She never expected to hear footsteps coming rapidly near her direction. The teams Hart had ordered were now split and looking for Tori. Shark and Yuma were currently in the same alley that Tori was in and were fully unaware of it.

"I don't see anything." Yuma whined and groaned, staring at the sky. He was about to do more, but Shark cupped his mouth with his good hand. Despite Yuma's protest of "Hey!", he kept him quiet and pointed. One of those trash cans looked awfully weird.

"Yuma. Don't. Say. A. Word." Shark commanded it very slowly. Yuma nodded and silenced himself. The duo team continued walking forward. Tori didn't move. She had no place to run and not be seen, but she knew she'd be able to get away if she sleeked back into the shadows after fleeing.

So that's what Tori did. She raced out past Yuma and Shark, then over the roof of a small building, hearing Yuma yell, "There she goes!" as she bounded into the shadows again. Yuma and Shark couldn't find her after that.

"Man, I thought we had her!" Yuma moaned and growled. Shark ran a hand through Yuma's pink bangs and smiled. "Don't worry Yuma. We'll either find her or someone else will."

Meanwhile, Hart was looking throughout every tiny shadow. Vetrix wasn't far from him, but he was opening the dumpsters and trash cans. Knowing Tori that would only be a last resort, but the two couldn't be sure if it had or hadn't already come down to that.

A shadow suddenly appeared behind the galaxy-faced blond. Vetrix turned and gasped when he saw Tori there. Hart turned and let out a shriek when he saw the knife. The blue-haired boy ran over and tackled Tori, who retaliated and ran off. The two of them looked at each other and gave chase.

_How am I gonna shake these two? They're a lot quicker than I thought._ Tori ran off into another alley and lost them there by ducking into a cellar near one of the vacant buildings. She locked it from the inside, forcing Hart and Vetrix to go another direction. Tori breathed a sigh of relief. She knew better than to jump in on those two again. The green-haired girl proceeded throughout the cellar. It obviously was previously used for storing wine, as many wine bottles and glassed were littered on the shelves.

Further into the cellar were Frank and Quinton, messing around with the glassware. Quinton had jumped a few times at the sight of some of the snakes that lurked there. He wasn't a fan of them, no way. Frank teased him by scooting one closer to the silver-haired, who let out a startled scream and jumped back. Frank laughed.

"Geez, you really don't like snakes, do you Quinton?"

"No. Before my father became Vetrix, I had picked up on that because I looked up to him. Now, he's a big fan of those slithery serpents." Quinton shivered at the thought and continued looking behind the big chests and things that lay in the cellar. Tori smirked upon hearing this.

_So, he doesn't like snakes, huh? Well, then I bet he won't like this at all._ Tori sleeked past the orange-haired cop and silver-haired Arclight, then let the large black snake she'd found loose. If color could be lost from Quinton's body there'd be nothing left. As soon as he saw the thing he ran out of the cellar with a shriek. Frank on the other hand turned and tried to catch Tori, who practically hopped away from him. She ran out the other cellar part, then to the east side of town.

The east side was where Trey and Quattro were looking around. Trey was standing on a roof and looking around. He was trying to make sure no vases were around. Well, there were some large ones near the Chinese eatery, but there was no way Tori could pick them up. Way too heavy. Shortly after focusing on that, the pinkette turned and looked in the same direction as Quattro.

"Find anything yet?" Trey called. Quattro shook his head.

"No, not yet. What about you?"

"Nothing."

"Fantastic." Quattro continued to rummage through the alley he was in. Surprisingly, it was really clean. It must not be vacant, he had thought. Tori wasn't in it. She was instead right behind the maroon and blond-haired Arclight. Trey, thank god, had not climbed down from the roof. He let out a yell, alerting his brother of the danger behind. Tori took off towards the north.

"Crap. C'mon, Trey, let's go!" Quattro ran after Tori. Trey didn't bother to climb. He jumped off and went after his brother. Tori didn't get far. Shark and Yuma soon appeared, blocking her path.

_Man!_ Tori turned and went south. Quinton and Frank blocked that way. Tori had one more direction she could try. She instantly headed west, only to be blocked by Hart and Vetrix. She was stuck in the middle.

"It's all over now, Tori." Shark growled it, holding his good hand in a fist. Tori looked around. She noticed the fountain in the center of it all. If she could hop off it, she could get on the roof nearby and escape.

So that's what she did. Tori leapt off the fountain after getting on it, then onto the roof of a French place; only to nearly fall off. Cathy was standing on there, her sharp-nailed gloves on and ready to attack. That's when the truth hit the green-haired girl.

Tori was the one that would be captured now.


	11. Chapter 11: It All Smooths Out

Heartbroken in Heartland

This is the final chapter. It's not very long, sorry, but I hope you all enjoy anyway. :)

"Cat!" Tori slid her mask off and gasped. Cathy nodded and smirked.

"This is what you get for framing me on Hilda's murder!" The girls ran around in circles on the roof. Every team member had been staring, not to mention the people in the restaurant. They'd come out to see what was happening. "Cat fight!" one of them yelled.

"Come on, Cat!" Yuma yelled. Cathy jumped on Tori. The two rolled around on the roof, and went pretty far. No one could see them once they started. They'd gone clear to the other side of the roof. Tori was struggling to get up. By now all the people from the restaurant had cameras or phones out and had been taping this or getting pictures. Yuma and most of the group were cheering for Cathy.

"Tori, what the heck did you do all this for?" Cathy managed to choke out when the two parted. Tori smirked.

"Shark belongs with me! Not Hilda!" Tori jumped on Cathy again, but didn't have much luck. Just as the two girls were about to go at it again, they froze. The pair of hand cuffs Cathy had been hiding were floating in mid air. Since neither could see her, they were unaware Hilda had them. She jumped in front of Tori and slapped them on. The people on the other side stopped cheering in fear the roof had cracked. When the girls returned, the crowd went nuts.

"You are in biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig trouble." Cathy growled and jumped down with Tori, then had Frank deal with her. Frank simply ran off to find his car, put Tori in and returned. The people that had once been there as a crowd had gone back in. It just left the regular group of teams there.

"Cat, that was awesome!" Yuma yelled it and jumped on Cathy in a hug. She hugged back and blushed. "Thanks..."

All went silent for a bit. Finally, Frank walked up to Shark. The purplette turned with a freaked-out face.

"What?"

"Shark, I wanted to apologize to you about all that crap I gave you. I should've listened."

Silence. Shark didn't move or say anything. Not for a while, at least. He smirked and held out his good hand. When Frank took it, he flipped him the way he'd been flipped. The others gasped and went wide-eyed.

"You know what, Frank? Forget about it." Shark smirked and helped the orange-haired cop up. Instead of lashing out on the purple-haired boy, however, he simply chuckled.

"I deserved that." Frank smiled and walked away. He had a lot to tell Miranda when he got home. Shark smiled. He turned to go home as well and proceeded to do so, Hilda following right behind. The Arclights simply vanished through a portal. Hart never moved. Yuma turned and had a questioning look on his face.

"Hart? What's wrong with you?"

"I don't have anywhere to go." Hart stared at the ground, tears slowly hitting the pavement. Yuma walked back to the blue-haired boy. Hart could suddenly feel a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at Yuma, but he didn't see his hand. He saw a glowing one. A _blue_ glowing one.

Astral.

"Wha...I thought you'd never come out of that key!" Yuma smiled upon seeing his friend there. Astral smiled at him and then glanced back at Hart. "What is troubling you, Hart?" he asked.

"I thought you knew..."

"If it involves loosing your brother, than yes, I am aware. But I sense that is not all that is troubling you. What else is there?"

"I don't have a place to go now. Without Kite, I have no where to live."

"That's not true!" Yuma said. Hart and Astral turned. "You can just come live with me and Astral!"

"Won't your sister and grandmother mind?"

"No. Especially if I explain all this mess they won't." Yuma held out a hand Hart looked down with hesitation, then took it with a smile. "Alright. I suppose." Yuma smiled back at the blue-haired boy and began walking home with him, glad that in a period of days this whole mess would be forever corrected.

**END**


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